Google Ads have been censored on this web site.
I try to avoid making statements if I can get away with it, but I am making an exception in this case. I have been using Google Adsense since last year.
Google just made a "Business Decision" to launch the chinese version of their search service, google.cn. One of the things that they had to do was to censor their search results in order operate in China.
I do not oppose any person or business who wants to do business in China. I just bought a racing shell that was partially manufactured in China. I do oppose censorship and hypocrisy.
Google's moto is "Do no evil". Censoring information because it contains words like "Freedom" or "Democracy" is evil.
This is why I made a "Business Decision" to no longer use Google Adsense. I am not sure if I will replace the advertising with something else.
Mark
While I dont agree with China's communism and treatment of their citizens, I dont think Google is doing evil by offering a service that follows their laws. All of the public interest groups can come out of the woodwork jumping on Googles back over this, but they are just doing what they have to do.
Thank you for your comments.
I am sure Ken Lay was trying to make sure Enron was being "profitable as possible", but the end result was I and a lot of other people lost their jobs because Enron was trying not to be "missing out on millions of dollars".
I am all about making money, but not at the expense of someone else's freedom. You can not throw out your ethics just to make buck. It is ok to say no.
Right now China has a population of one billion plus. When China is a free democratic society, where do you think those people will spend their money. They will spend their money with companies that did not help a marxist dictatorship infringe on their on freedoms.
I believe censorship is evil. If your company's motto is "Do no Evil", and you do evil, you have no ethics. I can not trust or do business with a company that has no ethics.
your point of view makes alot of sense but I will have to side with David on this one. If the law in China was that one has to beat thier wife once a week would that still make it right? I can see Google's side of things as well but I do not agree with them as they are just feeding China's communism by supporting it. Are they willing to do anything to make a buck? Some times you have to just take a stand for what is right regardless of the pay out. As Americans we are proud of our heritage and will fight to the death for our freedom whilst Google will sell out to a communist oppressor to merely line thier pockets with more cash. So what's next? Are they gonna have a Google Iran and censor anything having to do with Jews or Americans, maybe the only searchable content that Google Iran will offer will be the Quran and lots of extreme Islamic anti American giberish. So the big question is.. Is Google really offering the Chinese people a service by jumping on the communist bandwagon? Seems to me that supporting the idea of a democracy in China is a better service to the chinese people. I think Google should leave the oppression and censorship up to the Chinese government and offer thier search services as is to the chinese people.
I am drafting a letter to my congressmen to make a law prohibiting american businesses to partake in activites that are detrimental to democratic values. Just like it is illegal to operate internationally in a manner that is contrary to american laws on environmental and child labor laws, this too should be deemed unacceptable business practices.
Shame on Google, Yahoo, CISCO, and Micro$oft for the decision to encourage communism and censorship.
By the way, I found this blog by submitting the following search in google: "why does google practice communism?"
Since they store searches, I want THAT one to be in their database. I try to search for something along those lines every day, and I encourage everyone to do the same. I find a lot of interesting sites that way ;-)
--kevin